You need a license to fish, hunt or drive, but any fool can make a child at any time. And making matters worse, kids don’t come with instructions. They are truly a work in progress, never ending until you — or they — do.

Collectively, America’s kids are becoming increasingly rude. Not shocking, but at the same time no less disappointing. I think it kind of indicates where we as a society are headed: a more urbanized, perpetual “whaddayouzelookinat” kind of attitude.

As a high school teacher, I’ve been blessed as far as respectful children are concerned. I’d say about 95 percent of the kids I’ve encountered at Thomas County Central regularly say “yes sir” or “no sir” and are generally very respectful. I doubt it is very different at other schools around us.

And in all honesty, the other 5 percent have almost exclusively been spoiled-to-the-max kids who’ve been taught by their parents the universe somehow revolves around them. These are also the same parents who ask what it is you “have against” their child when they receive a failing grade in your class.

For the most part, children reflect what they’re taught at home. You as a parent may not want to hear that, but it’s true. If you’re setting a lousy example as a role model, chances are you have a lousy kid who will one day be a very lousy adult.

But for by far the most part, we’re doing something right around here with our kids, and we need to keep it up.

But for those in doubt about how to do this thing called raising a kid the right way, let me again offer some words of wisdom from John Rosemond, a leading child psychologist and the author of Authoratative Parenting. He calls this his “Bill of Rights for Children.”

Because it is the most character-building two-letter word in the English language, children have the right to hear their parents say “No” at least three times a day.

Children have the right to find out early in their lives that their parents don’t exist to make them happy, but to offer them the opportunity to learn the skills they — children — will need to eventually make themselves happy.

Children have a right to scream all they want over the decisions their parents make, and their parents have the right to confine said screaming to certain areas of their homes.

Children have the right to find out early that their parents care deeply for them but don’t give a hoot what their children think about them at any given moment in time.

Because it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, children have the right to hear their parents say “Because I said so” on a regular and frequent basis.

Because it is the most character-building activity a child can engage in, children have the right to share significantly in the doing of household chores.

Every child has the right to discover early in life that he isn’t the center of the universe (or his family or his parents’ lives), that he isn’t a big fish in a small pond, that he isn’t the Second Coming, and that he’s not even — in the total scheme of things — very important at all, no one is, so as to prevent him from becoming a spoiled, insufferable brat.

Children have the right to learn to be grateful for what they receive. Therefore, they have the right to receive all of what they truly need and very little of what they simply want.

Children have the right to learn early in their lives that obedience to legitimate authority is not optional, that there are consequences for disobedience, and that said consequences are memorable and, therefore, persuasive.

Every child has the right to parents who love him/her enough to make sure he/she enjoys all of the above rights.

Easy? Heck no it isn’t. Worth the effort? Absolutely.

Let me add a few. Raise your kids to say, “yes/no sir” or “yes/no ma’am,” “please” and “thank you.” Make them address anyone older than them as “Mr., “Mrs.” or “Miss,” and to do so until told to do so otherwise by the party they are addressing, regardless of how old they are (for the life of me, it drives me nuts when former students call me “Randy”…I’ve been out of high school for 30-plus years and I still address every one of my former teachers by Mr. or Miss).

Teach them that they alone are responsible for their actions and decisions — and ultimately, their consequences. Along that line, make sure they understand that regardless of how old or big they may be, they are not above getting a good whupping.

If you have sons, teach them to open doors for girls, and to always let ladies go first. If you have daughters, teach them to be a lady.

Whether you take them to church or not, make sure your kids understand there is a God and He is watching them at all times. And, if He isn’t, you are.

Show your kids how to behave with the way you live your life. Yyour example to them speaks far louder than your words at them ever will.

And more than anything, make your kids understand that each moment is a blessing and an opportunity at the same time, and that they alone determine what will be done with it.

As Frank “Papa D” Delaney says, “God didn’t create no trash, and he don’t want no trash being brought back to him.”

Wise words from a very wise man.